Loose leaf binder



Oct. 23, 1934. c. E. MQREHOUSE 1,978,352

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed March 16, 1932 INVENTO CYRUS EMOREHOU-SE Patented Oct. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Cyrus E. Morehous'e, Clifton Heights, Pa., assignor to National Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 16, 1932,-Serial No. 599,176 3 Claims. (01. 129-43) My invention relates to loose leaf binders, and it relates more particularly to a loose leaf binder of the post type, whereby a plurality of posts, carried permanently or fixedly by one bar may be operatively engaged by an opposed bar, by merely a simple sliding movement of the latter bar with respect to said posts; the object of my invention being to provide a loose leaf binder of this type which will be of asimple and durable construction, and which will facilitate the insertion and removal of loose leaf sheets into and from the binder, and which will at the same time firmly and securely retain the loose leaf sheets'while in use.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear more fully from the following description, my invention consists of a loose leaf binder, including a pair of flexibly connected covers, a corresponding pair of bars, a plurality of posts fixedly carried by one of said bars, having adjustable heads, and shanks directly beneath said heads, of successively decreasing diameters, and a corresponding plurality of transverse recesses in the other bar in registering alignment with said posts, having entrances of a width just sufficient to clear the smallest diameter of the shanks of the heads, and having inner portions of a width or diameter sufficient to receive the larger diameter portions of the thickness of the heads, immediately adjacent to said heads, and a spring or other suitable resilient means tending to exert a constant opposite force upon the two bars, so as to retain the recessed bar in looking relation to said posts.

My invention'further consists of other novel features of construction, which will appear more fully from the following detailed description.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, 40 since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described, except as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in which like reference characters indicate like parts:-

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a loose leaf binder of my present invention, shown open, and with the stack of paper partly broken away, so as to expose to view some of the features of construction.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, on a much enlarged scale.

Figure 3 represents a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of the recessed bar, and the top of one of the post heads.

Figure 4 represents a side elevation of said fragmentary portionof the recessed bar.

Figure 5 represents a corresponding fragmentary portion of the head end of the post.

Figure 6 represents a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of the recessed bar in operative relation to the post, as the same enters the bar.

Figure 7 represents a similar view, showing the post in locking engagement with the bar.

Figure 8 represents a broken side elevation of both bars, partly in longitudinal section.

The loose leaf binder of my present invention consists of a pair of covers 9 and 10, which may be flexible or stiff ,and which may be formed of the same continuous web of suitable material, folded successively at 11, 12, 13 and 14, and also forming the flexible back portion 15. Between thefolds 16 and 17 of the cover-forming web, a lower longitudinal bar 18 is interposed, said bar carrying a plurality of hollow tubular posts 19, spaced from each other at suitable distances. The posts 19 maybe affixed to the bar 18 in any suitable manner, as for instance, by disposing an annular flange 20 ofeach of said posts 19 between the two walls of the bar 18.

, The posts 19 are internally threaded and carry adjustable screws 21, which terminate at their outer ends in heads 22 and locking shanks or stem portions 23 directly beneath said heads, and of suitably smaller diameter, and entrance stems or engaging shanks or stem portions 24 beneath the portions 23, of still smaller diameter.

Between the folds 25 and 26, a bar 27 is disposed, having a plurality of transverse recesses 28 corresponding to, and in registering alignment with the posts 19. Each of the recesses 28 includes a relatively narrower neck portion or entrance 29, which extends through the free edge of the bar, and an inner portion 30, of relatively greater width or diameter. The width of the neck portions 29 is slightly greater than the small diameter shank portions 24 of the adjacent screws 21, but less than the diameter of the portions 23 of said screws; while the inner portions 30 of said recesses 28 are of a diameter slightly greater than the portions 23 of said screws 21, but less than the diameter of the heads 22 of said screws 21.

Thus, the screws may enter the recesses 28 at the smallest diameter portions 24, and when the auxiliary bar 31 carrying the tubes 32, is remov-' able from the binder when the latter is opened to receive paper.

A leaf spring 34 is secured to the lower bar, 18, by means of rivets 35, or the like, with its outer ends 36 bent upwardly to a suitable extent, to press upwardly against the stack of paper 33, or against the lower ends of the tubes 32, depending on whether said telescope tubes project entirely through the stack of paper, or whether the stack of paper is thicker than the length of the tubes. In either event, the spring ends 36 exert a constant force tending to separate the bars 18 and 27, thereby tending to retain the upper or recessed bar 27 in locking engagement with the post heads 22. In order to unlock the binder, it is merely necessary to depress the upper bar towards the lower bar at two points immediately adjacent to the posts 19, against the force of the springends 36, until the upper bar 27 is depressed into alignmentwith the small diameter portions 24 of the post screws 21. When thus depressed, the upper bar 27 may he slid out from beneath the heads 22,

thereby being separated from said posts. When thus separated, the upper bar may be folded back and the auxiliary bar entirely removed. Paper may now be placed on to the posts or removed from the posts, and the binder again closed by a reversal of operations.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be i considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I hereby claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A loose-leaf binder including a pair of flexibly connected covers,- a corresponding pair of connected bars intermediate said covers, a plurality of posts carried by one of said bars, each having a head and successive stem portions directly beneath the head, of successively decreasing diameters, a corresponding plurality of generally transverse recesses in the other of said bars, in generally registering alignment with said posts, said recesses having outer or entrance portions of a width slightly greater than the smallest diameter of the head-stem of the post, but being of a lesser width than the large diameter of said head-stem, and having inner portions of an increased diameter, sufficient to receive the large diameter of the head-stem but less than the diameter of the head of the post, and means operatively interposed between said pair of bars, tending to force the same apart.

2. A loose-leaf binder including a pair of flexibly connected covers, a corresponding pair of connected bars intermediate said covers, a plurality of posts carried by one of said bars, each having a head and successive stem portions directly beneath the head, of successively decreasing diameters, a corresponding plurality of generally transverse recesses in the other of said bars, in generally registering alignment with said posts, said recesses having outer or entrance portions of a width slightly greater than the smallest diameter of the head-stem of the post, but being of a lesser width than the large diameter of said head-stem, and having inner portions of an increased diameter, sufficient to receive the large diameter of the head-stem but less than the diameter of the head of the post, an auxiliary bar carrying a corresponding plurality of tubes adapted to telescope over said posts, and a spring carried by .said first bar, and exerting a force upon said tubes and thence on said auxiliary bar and said recessed bar, tending to displace the same in a direction parallel to the axis of the posts, thereby yieldably to retain the recessed bar in looking engagement with said post heads.

3. A loose-leaf binder including a pair of bars, a plurality of posts carried by one of said bars, each having a head and successive stem portions directly beneath the head, of successively decreasing diameters, a corresponding plurality of generally transverse recesses in the other of said bars in generally registering alignment with said posts, said recesses having outer or entrance portions of a width slightly greater than the smallest diameter of the head-stem of the post, but being of lesser width than the large diameter of said head-stem, and having inner portions of an increased diameter, sufficient to receive the large diameter of the head-stem but less than the diameter of the head of the post, and means operatively interposed between said pair of bars, tending to force the same apart.

CYRUS E. MOREHOUSE.

Nil

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